The Naming Chapter Three Tree POV
by PadawanJesselinFett
Summary: A different point of view for chapter three in The Naming by Alison Croggon.


**I do not own the Books of Pellinor or the characters. Those are the property of Alison Croggon**

Chapter Three (Tree POV)  
The Scrying

My branches swayed in the light breeze. I was getting bored, but then again sitting in the same place, day after day, made life as a tree so boring.

"We need something exciting to happen around here," I complained.

"Hush child, enjoy what you can. Don't take it for granted," said the Elder.

"I am not a chi-" I was cut short by another.

"Humans are approaching! It looks like a man and a woman," Autumn exclaimed. With that everyone got excited. In my one hundred and sixty eight years of life, humans had visited our humble abode only once. We waited as patiently as we could, as the humans drew nearer. The man came right up to me and stopped. I could only understand a little of the human speech, so some of what he said I don't think was accurate.

"Birch tree high," the man said. This confused me, for I didn't know if he was greeting me, or stating the obvious. I mean everyone knows trees are tall, don't they? He continued to talk and then walked into our home. The girl got up from where she as sitting and followed him a little reluctantly.

"Irihel, now that is a name I haven't heard in a long time," said the Elder quietly.

"What does it mean?" asked Bud.

"Irihel means Icehome," I said answering the question.

Bud asked another question, but I wasn't listening. I was too enthralled with the man and the woman. I noticed that she was hesitant to sit with down with the man. 'That's odd,' I thought. 'Why would she be scared to be with him if she knows him?' I didn't pay attention to what was thinking, for the man stood up and showed the woman to a small stream. He quickly returned and started to lay out familiar looking objects.

"Look! He's pulling out blankets and food, and whatever _that_ is," said my neighbor to the right. The _that_ he was referring to was a weirdly shaped package. A few minutes later, the girl returned.

"Eat I'll back," he said to her gesturing at the food he had spread out. She gazed hungrily at the food, while the man disappeared in the direction of the stream.

The girl reached out, as if to take some food, but instead grabbed the package. She gently removed the wrapping form the package, and stared at the object with a tender expression. She cradled it in the crook of her arm, as if it was a sapling.

"It's not possible!" exclaimed the Elder's wife in astonishment.

"What's not possible?" I asked.

"That lyre is of Dhyllic ware," said the Elder.

"Yeah, so what?" I said puzzled why the adults were completely awed by this old looking lyre.

"So what! Lyres of Dhyllic ware haven't been made in hundreds and hundreds of years. They were made in the days of Afinil," the Elder's wife explained.

That placated me. Of course I knew about Afinil. It was a city made before the Nameless One ever came to his power.

The girl wrapped herself in a blanket and fell asleep, still holding the lyre. When the man returned, he smiled wryly and ate some food. He wrapped himself in the other blanket and fell asleep.

When he fell asleep, I blurted out," Can you believe it? After a hundred and thirty years, we finally have visitors again!" No one said anything. 'Humph! fine be party poopers,' I thought to myself.

"Elder, do you think she is the One, the Foretold?" asked my mother.

"I am not sure," he said. "She could be the Foretold, but she could also be a thief."

"It doesn't matter! The prophecy only spoke of one who has an instrument from the days of Afinil. This girl, whoever she is, has an instrument that you said yourself was from the days of Afinil," said Autumn.

"What prophecy? Who is the Foretold?" I asked.

"Nothing that concerns you," my mother snapped. "Anyway, shouldn't you be going to sleep?" she added.

"Fine," I grumbled. It was only then that I realized that I was so tired from moving my branches. Most humans think the wind moves our branches. They're wrong. We choose when to move our branches; it is just coincidence that the wind is blowing at the same time. As I drifted off to sleep, I could hear the older trees arguing in hushed tones.

That night my dreams were haunted by the words Autumn had said. They repeated themselves over and over, while the girl and the man were chasing something, something that I couldn't name.

I woke from my nightmare at daybreak, surprised to see that the man was already up. He seemed to have woken from a nightmare, too. Sweat stood out on his forehead and his shirt was sticking to him. He rose and walked towards me. He walked out of the dingle and stood on the side overlooking the sunrise. He leaned against my trunk and took a deep breath. He exhaled slowly, and my leaves were happy to take in the carbon dioxide. The man slowly slid down to a sitting position, and gazed at the rising sun.

Daylight slowly crept up and over the hills and poured over the plains. After the sun had risen up and over the hills, I started to hear a strange sound. I realized it was coming from the human. 'He's snoring,' I thought. His snoring slowly added to the long list of sounds emanating from the various homes of animals living among our branches and under our roots. The dingle was already waking up, waiting to start a new day, while the man and the woman slept on.

The sun was already low in the sky when the man woke up.

"By the light!" he exclaimed when he saw how late it was. He jumped up and walked back into our home. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the woman was still asleep.

She rolled over on her side and muttered "Cadvan."

'Cadvan. 'I wonder if that's his name.' I thought. The man smiled, if only a little, and sat down. He started to eat some food, with his back towards her.

The girl started to fidget in her sleep and was mumbling something incoherently. Cadvan stood up to check on her. Seeing nothing wrong he walked towards the food again, after he took her lyre and put it beside her. Before setting it down, he hastily examined it. Cadvan turned towards the food and began eating again, muttering something about mushrooms drenched in butter. He quickly lost interest in muttering about mushrooms and glanced back at the lyre. Cadvan was quickly lost in thought. Less than two minutes later, the girl woke up. Cadvan turned towards her and wordlessly offered her some food. She took some and they ate in silence. Once they finished, Cadvan brushed the crumbs off his blanket.

"Now Maerad," he said. 'Maerad, I like that name,' I thought. I had missed the rest of what he said. "Wouldn't leave you...," he said quickly. He continued on, with me only able to understand a few words such as Norloch, Circle, and School.

"This man is a Bard," Bud said quietly.

"Yes, he is," agreed Autumn.

"You know, he has a name. It's Cadvan, and the woman's is Maerad," I told them.

They ignored me and started to talk about other things. 'He's a Bard!' I thought amazed.

My thoughts were interrupted by a strange sound. I recognized it as laughter. I looked down to see Cadvan laughing at Maerad. It took him awhile to regain his breath. After he had done so, he explained to Maerad that her lyre was of Dhyllic ware made in Afinil. Her face showed her shock. Her eyes were wide and her mouth slightly open.

Then Cadvan reached out and patted her hand. "Don't mind teasing. We decide to do," he said smiling at her. Maerad looked down. "Won't leave tonight. I still weary, truth told. Need think. Here safe for time being. Long road ahead," he continued.

He opened his sack and pulled out another lyre. Cadvan started to play a few notes, tuning it, and then started to play the beginning of the lay of Andomian and Beruldh.

I heard more than one tree gasp as the beautiful music played by Maerad and Cadvan filled the dingle. We listened to them sing, bending towards them ever so slightly so we can hear better. Some of us joined in singing the verses.

Speak to me fair maid!  
Speak and do not go!  
What sorrows have your eyes inlaid  
in such black woe?

Cadvan and Maerad kept playing until Maerad faltered. Cadvan spoke low so we could not hear him, but then he struck a harsh chord. He spoke just a little more before putting away his lyre. Cadvan didn't speak, he just sat there thinking, looking troubled. Maerad just sat there doing nothing. She eventually leaned against a tree (which was me!) and didn't do anything. She was puzzled over something and occasionally she would glance at Cadvan.

Some time later, he said that she should get some rest, before going to sleep herself.

Everyone started to talk at once. Some were saying how lucky I was that these humans kept leaning on me, while others were jealous and didn't speak at all. They asked me all sorts of questions, until they moved on to talk about their singing.

"Only those who are destined to be together can sing that well. Those two humans are fated to be with each other," said the Elder. Everyone started talking at once

"Are you sure, Elder," one asked.

"Yes"

"If he is a bard, wouldn't that mean he is at least seventy years old?" another asked.

"Yes"

"But she is so young! She looks about sixteen years," exclaimed my mother.

"Age does not matter when it comes to love," the Elder said gravely.

They argued back and forth while I fell asleep. Cadvan and Maerad's voices still echoed in my trunk, repeating the lay of Andomian and Beruldh.

Once again I woke up at sunrise, and once again the man was already up. He walked towards the stream and came back ten minutes later. He laid out the food again and waited for Maerad to wake. She woke up five minutes later. She looked confused, almost like she was wondering where she was. She spotted Cadvan standing up, with his wet hair stuck to his face.

He bowed low, almost in a comical way, and said," Good morning. Mistress house forgive fare, same as last night. Wholesome for its. Does my lady wish wash first or after breaks her fast?"

She laughed and replied," Later. Better breakfast than use to."

They ate for some time, and once they were done Cadvan put everything back including Maerad's lyre.

"Leave today. Decide vary course and go to place sixty miles. Need supplies and you need clothes. Bards not welcome these days. Have disguise ourselves," he said after everything had been packed.

'Oh no! I don't want them to leave now,' I thought, sadness creeping over my body.

"Scry me?" Maerad said. "What that?"

"Hard explain don't know," he said.

'You would think that he would know what scry is,' I thought.

"Does hurt?" she asked.

"In a way. A little like asking you to take off all your clothes and stand front me, while I look over you with seeing glass," he replied.

Maerad stared at him in shock. Cadvan seemed not to care about what he had said and how she was looking at him.

"Don't trust me?" she asked.

They conversed for a couple of minutes until Cadvan put his pack on the ground. Maerad stood in front of him and placed her hands on his shoulders. He did the same and then spoke words in the speech rapidly. A beam of golden light seemed to connect their gaze. They stood looking in each others eyes for a few seconds, until Maerad's grip tightened on Cadvan's shoulders and screamed out "No!"

In a flash of light, Cadvan flew into the Elder and his wife way on the other side of the dingle. He seemed to be out cold. Maerad was curled on the ground crying. Cadvan regained consciousness after a moment and ran towards Maerad. Cadvan picked her up and placed her head on his shoulder. He gently stroked her hair while she cried.

After awhile, Maerad thrust Cadvan away. His face was pale and he looked distressed.

"Maerad, I am sorry. I very, very sorry," he said.

"It did hurt," she mumbled.

"Shouldn't have asked. All power, not much more child. In doubt, you were spirit of Dark sent trick me," he said.

"Me trick you?" Maerad said surprised.

Cadvan grinned at her. "Cry you sent threw me to those trees. Lucky neck not broken," he said.

She stared at him in astonishment. "I did that?" she said.

"You did. Need control power," he said grimacing. He rubbed his forehead where a mark had appeared.

"You'll bump there," she said.

"I will"

"All right then?"

"What?"

"I mean it's all right?"

"Oh, yes. No darkness in you," Cadvan replied distractedly. 'Whoa, she must have some power,' I thought.

"This confirms what we believe!" exclaimed the Elder. "This young girl, Maerad, is the Chosen One, the Foretold."

A whisper of excitement rippled through the adults.

"Who in the world is the Foretold?" I asked annoyed that no one would answer this simple question.

"The Foretold is the one to cast down the Nameless One in his darkest coming. She will do this using the Treesong," my mother said. If I had eyes, they would have gone wide. I looked back at Maerad and thought 'The Foretold actually leaned against me!! I am so lucky!'

I noticed Cadvan get up and answer Maerad's question. After that, he stood in the center of the dingle and bowed to us, silently thanking us. Maerad scrambled to her feet to do the same.

"Must thank trees for hospitality," Cadvan said picking up his pack. He walked out.

Maerad stayed behind. 'Thank you,' she thought and bowed. I felt tempted to say something in return.

As she walked out, we rustled our branches in farewell, like we were saying goodbye to old friends

i think that its fixed of all mistakes..... please review!!


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